Car-coupling



(No Modem f f J. H. ESTES.

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No. 565,110. Patented Aug. 4, 1896.

al) er JZZ 51268,

lgly Jlorgays,

PATENT EETCE.

.lOl-lNl-l. ESTES, OF EVERTON, MISSOURI.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,110, dated August 4, 1896.

Application tiled March 25, 1896.

Serial No. 584,811! (No model.)

To @ZZ whom zit may concern-.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. ESTES, a citi'- zen of the United States, residing at Everton, in the county or Dade and State of Missouri,Y have invented a new and useful Car-Goupling, oi' which the following is a specification.y

The invention relates to improvements inY ear-couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of pin-and-link carcouplings, and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and et'icient one, capable of coupling automatically and of being readily uncoupled and adapted to supporta link in a horizontal position for guiding it into the mouth of a draw-head to prevent a person from going between cars during the operation of coupling and guiding the link by hand.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

ln the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car-coupling constructed in accordance with this invent-ion and shown supporting a link in position for guiding it into the mouth of a draw-head. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a similar view, the coupling -pin being supported in an elevated position preparatory to automatic coupling. Eig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the spring-actuated pin-support. Eig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the link support or holder.

Like numerals oi' reference designate corresponding parts in all the iigures of the drawings.

1 designates a draw-head adapted to receive a link 2 and provided with a flaring mouth and having a coupling-pin perforation 3 receiving a coupling-pin 4. The coupling-pin is supported in an elevated position preparatory to automatic coupling, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, by a sliding spring-actuated supporting-block 5, mounted in a rectangular recess or opening of the draw-head and draw-bar and provided with. a rearwardly-extending shank (i, having its rear portion guided in a block 7; and a spring 8, which actuates the sliding pin-supporting block, is disposed on the stem or `shank G and interposed between the block 7 and the shoulder formed by the rear end of the support 5. The forward or outward movement ot' the sliding pin-support 5 is limited by shoulders 9, located at opposite sides of the link-openin g of the draw-head at the back thereof, and adapted to be engaged by corresponding shoulders 10 of the support 5, and the shoulders 10 are formed by recessing the front portion of the support 5 at opposite sides thereof belowthe top of the same. W'hen the coupling-pin is elevated, the spring-actuated support 5 moves outward beneath the upper portion of the coupling-pin perforation and maintains the pin in an elevated position, and the support 5 is adapted to be depressed against the action of the spiral spring S by a link entering the draw-head. Villen the sliding support is moved rearward by a link en! tering the draw-head, it is withdrawn from beneath the coupling-pin, and the latter falls automatically and engages the link.

The recessed portion of the draw-bar is covered by a plate l1, provided at its front and back with lugs 12 and 13, perforated for the reception of suitable fastening devices. The plate 11 is provided at its front portion with an integral upwardly-extendin g L.shaped arm 14, having its horizontal portion 15, eX- tending over the draw-head, located above the coupling-pin perforation and provided with a perforation 16, adapted to receive the upper portion of the coupling-pin. The coupling-pin has its upper portion or extension 17 reduced. It is threaded adjacent to the lower terminus ot the same at 1S, and it receives a detachable collar 19, locatedbetween the top of the draw-head and the horizontal portion l5 of the support or arm la, and adapted to prevent the coupling-pin from being thrown 4 upward out of the coupling-pin perforation. When it is desired to remove the couplingpin from the draw-head, the collar may be unscrewed and moved upward on the reduced portion or extension of the coupling-pin to permit the latter to be passed downward from the coupling-pin perforation of the drawhead.

The link is maintained in a horizontal posit-ion for guiding it into the mouth of a draw-head by an automatically-operating link-support 20, substantially L-shaped and IOO arranged, when in operative position, in a recess 2l, extending along the bottom in front of the draw-head and forming a housing for the link-support to prevent it from being caught between two draw-heads and crushed or otherwise injured. The link-support consists of two substantially L-shaped sides, having their' front portions converged at their up` per terminals, secured together, and adapted to pass between the sides of a link to support the same. The rear ends of the sides of the link-support are provided with eyes 22, from which extends a tongue 23, and the linksupport may, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, be constructed of a single piece of resilient material, such as stout wire or the like, and having the rear terminals of its sides coiled to form the said eyes 22 and extended upward to provide a loop-shaped tongue. In constructing a link-support in this manner the wire or other material is first bent to form a tongue 23, then coiled to provide the eyes, and the body portion of the support is next constructed.

The tongue of the link-support is arranged in a recess 24 of the pin-support, and is adapted to be engaged by the shoulder formed at the front end of the recess when the pin-support is forced rearward bya link, whereby, when a link is placed in the drawhead, the link-support will be automatically swung upwardin position for holding` the lilik in a horizontal position for guidingitinto the mouth of a draw-head to obviate the necessity of going between cars during the operation of coupling and guiding the link by hand. As soon as the spring-actuated pin-support moves forward the link support or holder drops to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.

It will be seen that the car-coupling is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in .construction, that it is positive and reliable in operation, and that it is capable of coupling automatically. It will also be apparent that the link support or holder is automatic in its operation and is capable of maintaining the link in a horizontal position for guiding it into the mouth of a draw-head to obviate the necessity of going .between cars and guiding the link by hand.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention,

Vsuch as providing any suitable means for raising the coupling-pin to set the cars for automatic coupling, and to effect the operation of uncoupling from the top and sides of a car or the platform of a coach.

What I claim isl. In a oar-coupling, the combination of a draw-head having a coupling-pin perforation, a support or arm extending upward from the draw-head fixed to the same and disposed over the coupling-pin perforation and provided with a perforation, a coupling-pin arranged in the coupling-pin perforation and being of a diameter to pass through the same and having a reduced upper portion extending through the perforation of the arin or support, said coupling-pin being threaded adjacent to the lower end of its reduced portion, and a removable interiorly-threaded collar arranged on the threaded portion of the coupling-pin and interposed between the arm or support and the top of the draw-head, said collar being adapted to be removed from the threaded portion of the coupling-pin to permit the latter to be passed downward from the coupling-pin perforation of the draw-head, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head provided with a coupling-pin perforation, a spring-actuated pin support or holder located at the bottom of the drawhead, pivoted near its rear end to the same and having its inner or rear end arranged to be engaged by the spring-actuated pin-support, whereby, when the latter is moved inward or rearward the link support or holder will be swung upward automatically in operative position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a ear-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a sliding spring-actuated pin-su pport mountedk in the draw-head, and a substantially L-shaped link support or holder pivotally mounted on the draw-head at the bottom thereof and arranged to extend along the bottom and up the front portion of the same, and provided at the inner or rear side of the pivot with a tongue arranged to be engaged by the pin-support, when the same moves inward or rearward, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a car-coupling thecoinbination of a draw-head provided at its front and bottom with a recess, a substantially L-shaped link support or holder arranged in ysaid recess, pivoted to the draw-head at the rear end of the recess and having the upper end of its front portion pointed or tapering, and adapted to be straddled by a link, and a sliding pinsupport mounted in the draw-head and arranged to engage the rear or inner end of the link support or holder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head having a draw-bar and providedv at opposite sides of its interior with shoulders, a sliding pin-support provided at its bottom with a recess, and having its front portion recessed at opposite sides to form shoulders for engaging the said shoulders of the draw-head, a stem yextending rearward from the pin-support, a guide receiving the stem, a spiral spring disposed on the stem and interposed between the guide and the pin-support, a substantially L-shaped link support or holder, provided at its rear end with eyes, and having'a tongue extending upward beyond the eyes and arranged in the bottom recess of the pin-support, and apivot 'LOO ing pin-support mounted in the drew-head and arranged to engage the loop-shaped tongue 23, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as I5 my own I have hereto affixed my signature iu the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN H. ESTES. lvitnesses:

JOHN F. HUDSON, JoHN S. CARLOCK. 

